I can't get the image of Carm's back out of my head. How it must have
hurt. Oh God, poor baby. I look at Rob.
"Where the hell were you when this was happening?" I ask.
"Kat!" Carm shouts, shooting up out of her chair, "don't."
"You guys are a tag team, aren't you?"
"Rob was in the ring getting his ass kicked," Carm explains, "I was
helping him out. Unfortunately, I couldn't do the job." She plops down in her chair, looking a bit sad.
"I'm sorry," I tell both her and Rob, "I know wrestling and I know about
ECW. I keep up with the times... it's just that... you're my fucking little
sister. I still got the I got to protect you thing going."
"You don't have to protect me," Carm sighs.
"Says the little girl with the scars on her back."
"Hey!"
"Sorry... it's just that... ah... just tell me who did that to your back and
give me like... five minutes with them in a locked room... hell, two minutes
would do just fine."
"You and Francine in a room? I actually wonder who'd win that one."
"Actually, I think Francine could take her," Rob says with a slight smile.
"Excuse me, but I'm a fourth dan in karate, kung-fu and tae-kwon-do. I
think I can handle your Francine."
"Please... she's the Queen of Extreme."
"I could take her," I say, gritting my teeth.
"Listen, martial arts are fine and good, but ECW wrestling is different.
There are no rules."
I smile. I know about no rules fighting. There are things people don't
know about me... not even Carm or Jean-Claude. Yeah, I'd seen Francine on TV
every once in a while but I knew I could take her, no matter how extreme
she was. Carm wasn't the only one who got a buzz from violence.
"Give me two minutes with your Queen and I'll show her I'm the fuckin'
empress," I say, smiling sweetly.
"Excuse me," Jean-Claude says, "but no."
"No?" I look at him, "what the hell do you mean no?"
"I'm sure you're the Empress of Extreme but you will not fight the
Queen."
"And why the hell not? Because you say so?"
"No. Because you're pregnant. With my child."
Damn it! I forgot!
"Fine... but once I give birth... that Francine chick is mine."
Jean-Claude kisses my neck, laughing as Carm grins as me. Rob shakes his
head.
"Okay, I think I changed my mind... you might actually put a dent in
Francine."
"Thank you."
After that enlightening tidbit, the conversation turns to the wedding and
the preparations. Somehow, Carm and I end up in the kitchen while the boys
go to the basement to check out Rob's gym. At one point, we hear them
laugh together. I smile at Carm and bump my hips against hers. We giggle.
the family's getting closer and closer.
Yay! Yay! Yay! Can ya tell I'm excited? The day is finally here. I'm going
to become Mrs. Robert Szatkowski. Okay, the name isn't that great, but-
it's Robbie. And I can't wait. I roll over and stretch, instinctively
reaching for him. And then I remember... he's not there. I had JC take him
away. I'm extremely superstitious so- he couldn't see me the day of the
wedding until we got to the ceremony. I need as much good luck as
possible.
It's not too lonely, though. Kit Kat stayed the night with me and we had a
blast. All we did all night was stupid shit. You know- typical sleep over
stuff. I sat while she played in my hair, knowing it was just gonna get
redone today. We had fallen asleep eventually, half across my bed. No- our
bed. Me and Robbie's bed and even though I know I'm getting married to him
today, I still miss waking up to him. I wish he'd have been there, but-
he'll be there every day afterwards.
Kat is gone when I wake up, to where I don't know. I stand up and slip my
robe on, taking a minute to bathe in the soft glow piercing my windows.
It's a gorgeous day and could only get better. With a content sigh, I walk
out of the room and down the hallway, my robe hanging loosely around me. I
hear a voice downstairs and slowly make my way down.
I stop at the top of the stairs, listening. Kat's on the phone and she
doesn't sound exceedingly happy. I can't catch much of what she's saying
and by the time I get into hearing distance she's hanging up. I walk up in
front of her and sigh.
"What went wrong now?"
I cover the phone with one hand and look at her, I shake my head. "Don't
worry, it's not that bad. Mom just hates the hotel where we stashed her.
And she's mad because I'm not letting her stay over at the house."
"Why aren't you letting her stay over at your place?"
"Because after the wedding the kids are spending the night with me and
Jean-Claude. All three of them. For some reason, I don't want her to be
there."
"Mary Katia," Adrienne shouted, "are you listening to me?"
I roll my eyes and uncover the phone. "Yes Mom, I'm listening to you."
"Then what did I just say?"
"Mother, please. On this day of all days, don't upset me."
"Don't upset you? Don't upset you? I'll have you know."
I put the phone down on the end table and walk to the kitchen. Carm
follows me.
"You're just going to leave her like that?" she asks.
"Yes. She needs to cool off and I'm not going to let her yell in my ear.
Today's too important. So, you wanna have breakfast?"
We head off to the kitchen and get started on our morning meal. I put the
kettle on for tea and put a bagel in the toaster before going back to the
phone. She's still screaming.
"Mom... Mom... MOM!"
"Must you yell?" she asks me, sounding all insulted.
"You were yelling."
"I was not. I was speaking loudly."
I close my eyes and I pray. Not to God... not anymore... I'm praying to
Athena, goddess of knowledge and wisdom. I need wisdom, and heavy drugs,
to deal with that woman.
"Same difference. Listen Mom, I'd love to stay and chat but I have to go.
It's a busy day for me and Carm."
"Exactly. I wanted to know when you two wanted me at the house?"
"Wanted you at the house? For what?"
"Well, to help out, naturally."
"You know what, that's okay. We can handle it... every little aspect of it.
You don't have to come over."
"Baby, it's my job! I am the mother of the bride, lest you forget."
"We can't forget that," I mutter. "Mom, listen, you grab Dad and you two
relax until you have to get ready for the ceremony, OK? Carm and I will do
just fine."
"But.. but..."
"Mom, I'd love to stay and chat but I can't. I have to go. Lots of things to do
today."
"That's exactly why I want to help out."
"Mom, I have to go. Someone's at the door." Carm picks up on my cue and
runs to the door and rings the doorbell. "I have to run, see you there.
I'm hanging up now."
And I do it. I hang up on my mother. Carm just stares at me and starts to
laugh. "I can't believe you did that."
"You're getting married. To my husband's little brother. How much more
aggravation do you think I need in one day?"
"But you hung up on her!"
"It's not impolite if I warn her in advance," I tell Carm.
"And where did you pick up that pearl of wisdom?"
"From a book."
Carm just stares at me and walks back to the kitchen, muttering something
about me being crazy. Of course I'm crazy... how could she not know? I pat
my stomach gently and tell my baby that it'll all be all right. Kid's
gotta know I got its back... like I got my sister's.
I sat staring into the mirror as Kat worked on my hair. Nothing drastic.
Just big hooping curls with butterfly clips and a splash of glitter. I
gazed at my reflection as her hands flew across my hair. My shoulders were
bare and glitter fell on them. That was okay, though, because they'd be
glittered anyway. It still almost made me laugh. The thought that I was
actually getting married in white. I'm definitely not virginal, but, hey...
It's my wedding. I can wear what I want. And I wanted white.
Sitting in your underwear with people standing around you often makes you
think. All the things of the past few months went through my mind, from my
first introduction of my fiancé to my family to the recent realization
that we were all family in some twisted way to begin with.
It seems sort of West Virginian to me. I mean, I'm marrying my sister's
husband's brother. And on the flip side, Robbie's marrying his brother's
wife's sister. I don't know. It kind of brings up memories of old West
Virginia hill country jokes about your cousin being your sister and your
mother. But-- it didn't really bother me. I just made me laugh. And I let
that laugh out.
"What's so funny?" Kat asked me. I looked at her reflection and shook my
head.
"You don't wanna know."
"Yeah, I do."
"No, ya don't."
"Yeah, I do."
I sighed. "Well, you know those West Virginia jokes where--"
My words cut off as I saw the door opening in the reflection of the
mirror. Didn't we tell her that we really didn't need her help? The fact
that she had to be forced to come to the wedding was bad enough. I didn't
need her and her attitude to ruin my day. "What do you want mother?"
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